The WROR Boston automation system, pictured at left, was once known as “Arco-Mattic”, the shy but friendly robot back when the station had the call letters WRKO-FM. Here, the system selected WROR’s Oldies music using a teletype-keyboard terminal and the program itself loaded into auto’s ‘brain’ via paper tape reader. U.S. Navy Radiomen would know what I’m referring to.
Despite this station’s heritage, there really are very few recordings available. Contributor Russ Oasis dug up this very short piece of audio. He said about it,
“I wish I had more WROR for you, but this is all I could salvage. I believe it to be from 10/72”.
To listen, click the BIG BLUE BUTTON below.
Interestingly enough, from 1970 until RKO General took 98.5 live-assist in 1980, this was a fairly popular Boston station. Longtime personality Joe Martelle did “Saturday Night Live at the Oldies” for over 25 years, spanning the Automated Oldies era, through the AC, CHR and Hot AC era. I’ve always found it odd that there was so little audio available.
I have a lot of stuff I recorded from WROR in late 1970 and 1971. I was totally automated then!
“Hit parade….Sevently!”